Who We Are

The Secular Alliance at Indiana University is a genuine student community. We don’t just explore issues using reason and questioning, as we also act on our secular humanist beliefs by helping others and supporting one another in times of need. Our group welcomes both religious and nonreligious people of all ethnic, cultural, and ideological perspectives. We challenge each other to live the best lives we can, actively promoting reason, wonder, and intentional goodness as a way of life.

You're always welcome

Anyone and everyone is invited to our events. We want believers and nonbelievers to feel welcome at our meetings and social events. Engaging with those who believe differently is paramount, for that's when we see that we're not all that different.

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Membership is open to anyone. For more information about becoming a member, view our About Us page or contact our leaders.

At the beginning of each semester, we hold a callout to provide extra opportunities for getting to know the officers and find out about our programs and activities.

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Religious groups and organizations have something that we, the Secular Alliance, lack—a sense of community. A sense of community not only brings people into their religion, but keeps them invested in it. In the past few years, the Secular Alliance’s focus have been within the confines of intellectual pursuits. While this area is important, we would like to expand and reorient ourselves towards a new purpose. The Secular Alliance would like to build a similar sense of community for those that are less inclined to religion. In the coming years, we hope to reorient ourselves to not only cover intellectual pursuits, but emotional ones as well. Our answer to this is Resurgence: a group that will meet weekly to discuss important issues in order to strengthen both intellectual and emotional virtues in large and small group settings. It is our hope that once we have established this community and improved the lives of those within it, we will be able to work to improve the lives of those outside of the group through service-oriented projects and events. With the shared goal of helping others, internal and external to this community, we invite you to join us, religious or non-religious, starting with our series Resurgence.

Have doubts crept in to where before there was only certainty? Do you find yourself disagreeing with the beliefs around you yet never speaking out? We’re here to help you come out as a nonbeliever.

This Sunday’s discussion was prompted by a trip to Indianapolis a couple weeks ago to see atheist blogger and speaker Greta Christina at the Center for Inquiry of Indiana. In her presentation, based on her book Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why, she described various processes doubters went through in coming out to their family, friends, and employers. Many who questioned their parents’ faiths found it difficult to speak truthfully about their disbelief for fear of losing family and friends. While many received nothing more than a smile or shrug from those they came out to, some found themselves ostracized by their friends, or even being evicted by their family.

We want to hear the encouraging stories of those who came out because they could no longer take the discord between their beliefs and actions. We want to hear the stories of those unwilling to come out because of what they stand to lose. We want to hear the stories of those who have lost something, and to offer friendship.

Our discussions provide a space for beliefs and ideologies to be examined honestly and respectfully. If you’d like to discuss your beliefs or lack thereof, join us this Sunday, October 5, at 6pm in Wylie 115.

What does it mean to wonder more? The Secular Alliance is becoming a group for self discovery and improvement. We’ll be emphasizing being grateful, and we’ll take the time to appreciate the good aspects of life. Come ponder the cosmos with us—it will be a journey that changes things!

A topic that has come up many times in recent discussions is whether being a scientist and having beliefs in supernatural entities are fundamentally at odds. Does a scientist find support for belief in God through the work of science, or are there issues with compartmentalizing belief and the skepticism inherent to science? In the spirit of hosting an open discussion, we are planning a forum of three IU faculty and one graduate student, two theist and two nontheist, to examine these questions.

The Secular Alliance, along with Better Together at IU, Biology Club at IU, CRU at IU, Hillel at IU, Indiana University Student Association, Muslim Student Union at IU, Physics Club at IU, and the Secular Student Alliance are sponsoring this panel discussion, and I’m excited to have such a variety of groups working together.

The best part is that we’re serving free vegan food from Anatolia! Join us on Wednesday, March 26 at 6pm in Business 219 for this great panel!

Event Info

Does science threaten belief in God? Is being both a theist and a scientist a source of conflict or harmony? Are God and science compatible?

Coming on March 26 is a panel discussion examining these questions and more about science and belief in God, featuring:
• John Beggs, Associate Professor of Physics
• David Bender, PhD Student of Computer and Cognitive Science
• Douglas Hofstadter, Professor of Cognitive Science and Comparative Literature
• J. Timothy Londergan, Professor of Physics

Panelists will speak for one hour, after which we will accept audience questions. At 7:30 we will end the Q&A and serve free, all-vegan food from Anatolia.

In Part 1 of this two-part post, I described my time at a seminar hosted at an Evangelical church designed to address the morality of the Old Testament. While the Evangelicals themselves were kind and compassionate people, their intrinsic belief that God is real leaves no room for questioning him. All their questions are directed toward themselves, as in why they don’t understand the true meaning of a passage, not why such passages exist or why a god would use depictions of genocide to illustrate his loving plan. In stark contrast to the projected certainty of Evangelical apologetics stand the Unitarian Universalists of Bloomington, who make deep questioning and inquiry a priority and welcome all people—believers and nonbelievers alike. Some may deride them as being too open or wishy-washy, and while I can understand that criticism I feel it neglects the honest searching that Unitarian Universalists engage in. I have attended three services and Humanist Forums at this church and have come away each time with a better understanding of what I am looking for in a community. The services were enjoyable, and it led me to important questions as to what our Secular Humanist movement needs and why some are planning a Sunday Assembly in Bloomington. I believe the Unitarian Universalists offer a great opportunity for us to consider what we are attempting to create in a gathering for atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, skeptics, and the like.

Order is Important

A difference between Unitarian Universalism and Evangelical Christianity emerged that weekend, and I feel it undergirds most of what I see to be inherent differences in world views. Unitarian Universalists speak of care and compassion primarily, then occasionally add spiritual beliefs. Evangelicals instead heap praise on God in supplication first and then see expressed love or compassion as secondary effects. This difference in order illustrates to me that Unitarian Universalists are Humanists first, while Evangelicals have a very low opinion of humans and see our rights as coming second to God’s. By acknowledging that we can have compassion, dignity, and morals intrinsically without need for a meddling deity, I find Unitarian Universalists to be quite compatible with my own Secular Humanism, and in some cases indistinguishable. When a separate group shares much of our beliefs they should be our allies.

Seeking Knowledge and Embracing Uncertainty

Another difference was their portrayal of texts: Evangelicals believe the Bible is the singular, true Word of the singular, loving God. Unitarian Universalists instead look upon history’s texts as containing insights into humanity and our struggles. They view these texts as an opportunity to reflect on humans’ endless searching for answers typified by the stories within, a point I believe to be both historically and sociologically accurate. They even offer classes on world religions and belief systems—something many Evangelicals would view as opening the door to Satan himself. They’re willing to be curious and “open-beliefed” as opposed to the certainty that Evangelicalism proclaims, and leave plenty of room for unanswerable questions.

It is possible to go too far in being open, as the quip “don’t be so open-minded that your brains fall out” crudely illustrates. I will admit that I have heard mention of “spirit” and “faith” in the Unitarian Universalist services and even puzzling mysticism from members. As a Skeptic I question assumptions and beliefs, but part of learning how to be a good skeptic is knowing when to publicly speak up, and when to privately research and individually disagree. When the priority of those around you is to support one another in a lifelong journey of inquiry, there is little need to go around constantly poking holes. I believe that the best tool of a skeptic is patience, and is expressed through getting to know someone where in the process natural points arise to ask questions about their beliefs and assumptions. The church hosts a regular small group of members, The Humanist Forum, who meet every other week to discuss interesting topics. The last topic was “One or Two Big Questions” where the moderator asked for questions without easy answers. Most of the people spoke of concerns about the future of humanity and the global ecosystem, which are topics I find concerning as well. I found fellow seekers of knowledge who respect one another and are willing to say they don’t know over invoking an all-explaining god.

What I’m looking for

Attending church services brought me back to an inescapable part of my past, and it wasn’t a bad encounter. I grew up in a small, rural Methodist church, and while I frequently felt distant due to my disbelief, I nonetheless look back at that community with growing appreciation. A small assortment of people, about half family, came to this church every Sunday. What they were each looking for I can’t attest to, but I’m fairly certain of what they gained. In such a place, strangers and familiars alike are greeted warmly. From the sermon they would receive reassurances of their good nature and better things to come. Our music was frequently joyful and sometimes somber, but always melodic. Individual concerns and grief were shared and accomplishments celebrated. Regular potluck lunches after church prolonged their fellowship (in this context eating and talking, humans’ top two favorite things). What religious communities like the one in my past offer is something that makes doctrine and ritual mere myth and ceremony, something that gives these practices substance regardless of the actual beliefs contained therein. But what is it?

At the Unitarian Universalist church I was welcomed by many and spoke to many kind and compassionate people. Their service had time for quiet meditation. The music was familiar yet different, with lyrics about togetherness and changing seasons instead of Jesus. Four young adults, each a representative from a different continent (Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America) sang songs together for the children to illustrate the globally-shared nature of humanity. It seems that very real and good things happen when curious and joyful people gather together, and none of it is supernatural. If gathering together like this is necessary for human happiness, as I believe it is, where shall we Secular Humanists go? To the Unitarian Universalist churches, or somewhere else?

Taking Steps Forward

Critics like the New Atheists (Dawkins, Hitchens, et al) are right to point out the obvious issues with the morality of the Bible and millennia of Christian practice. However, for believers who look no further past all the goodness they’re surrounded by, these objections sound absurd. And for good reason: these churches provide—not so much by their beliefs but by their practices—real and tangible benefits to members that are very hard to find elsewhere. When believers’ doubts take only a quick gloss to address, it seems to me that it’s not the beliefs that keep people in the pews but the social practices their churches embody. I believe that the major obstacle to many more people leaving their churches is our lack of such communal gatherings. When we don’t have a community whose explicit purpose is to build networks of interdependence I feel the perception of our worldview is of alienation, where we nonbelievers are independent and alone. When some argue that we have secular alternatives for social groups, they are correct to a degree. Special interest and recreational gatherings do promote forming friendships and bring a sense of collective identity, but is it enough? I’m not sure it is, and that’s why I’ve been to the Unitarian Universalist church to better understand how religion works. There are natural, material human practices in play that are worth examining and using.

Plans are underway to host a Sunday Assembly in Bloomington, and the big question I have is What will it be like? How much will it resemble a Unitarian Universalist service? How will it be different? How can we blend the best aspects of religion (the community, the food, the music, the warmth) and the best aspects of Humanism (questioning, autonomy, ethics)? In many ways it already exists in the Unitarian Universalist church.

Here’s the takeaway point: attending Unitarian Universalist services allows us to find what’s good in humanity’s history. As Freethinkers we’re not bound to taking the whole texts as Truth, and are therefore able to draw useful wisdom about our beneficial and harmful inclinations—much of which is timeless.

I attended events at two different religious institutions this weekend. One was at an evangelical church, with an author speaking on a topic very relevant to my interests: Old Testament ethics. The other was a service at the Unitarian Universalist Church and their Humanist Forum after, where the moderator asked for “big questions” that don’t have easy answers. The extreme difference in worldview—certainty of Truth versus seekers of knowledge—led me to questions that relate directly to potential alliances for our movement and plans in Bloomington for founding a Sunday Assembly. Below is Part 1 on evangelical certainty, and Part 2 will follow with intellectual curiosity and an examination of what we’re looking for.

Evangelical Christian Certainty

The seminar at a local evangelical church featured Dr. Paul Copan, professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University, a Christian college. As apologist and author, he has written or co-written several books, including the seminar’s Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God, and Contending with Christianity’s Critics: Answering New Atheists and Other Objectors, coauthored with William Lane Craig. The opening chapter of his Moral Monster book is a brief criticism of the New Atheists where Copan derides them as angry, simplistic, and sanctimonious. To set a similar tone for his seminar, Copan spoke of the New Atheists as his main antagonists and hinted he would render them fools.

Biblical Literalism and Rhetoric

One of his main pillars of argument arrived soon: apparent moral issues are not really problems, as they are simply incorrect translations or out-of-context readings neglecting the proper historical context or genre of the Bible. Copan spent much time citing lengthy lists of Bible verses to build support for his argument that the genocide committed or commanded by God was really just rhetoric typical of the times. An example of God’s apparent support of genocide is in Exodus, with God speaking to Moses and company as the setting of the story:

My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. (Exodus 23:23)

And another passage, telling of how Joshua did as the Lord instructed:

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. (Joshua 6:20-21 NIV)

As I’ve been reading the Old Testament it has struck me as odd that God promised he would clear the land of its inhabitants for his nomadic chosen people, yet pages later those damned (literally) Caananites were still hanging around. God’s promises to expel and exterminate the Caananites, the narrative of Joshua and others killing everyone inhabiting multiple towns, and subsequent stories chronicling the Canaanites’ steadfast survival are resolved by Copan, who claims that when these aspects of the Bible disagree one must interpret the commands for genocide as rhetorical flourish. Since the people who were to be exterminated are said to have survived, Copan concludes that the earlier passages are bluster. God and Joshua merely destroyed military forts, so women and children were not present and therefore no genocide was committed. I felt this was an inadequate explanation, given that Christians claim the Bible is God’s Holy Word. Why would God need to include such flourishes extolling and commanding the mass murder of men, women, children, and animals? Regardless of whether or not God “really” commanded genocide or whether Joshua “really” killed all the men, women, and children of Jericho, the words supporting genocide are still in the book. Why were those words, whether rhetorical or not, chosen by God to instruct?

When Slavery Isn’t Slavery

Similar to Copan’s previous argument that what looks like genocide wasn’t really, instances of “slavery” should be translated as “indentured servitude” which wasn’t nearly as harsh as slavery in US history. The opening prayer at the seminar included a request of God to “give him [Copan] the right words to say,” which, if believed, would strengthen my question of how all these people who believe God is directly leading them and giving them words can arrive at such different translations and interpretations of the Bible. My New International Version (NIV) Bible includes an extensive history of the production of that translation, and cites scholars from over 13 major denominations sourced from around the world. These experts translated one passage on slavery from Hebrew texts as:

“Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy one of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.” (Leviticus 25:44 NIV)

And another:

If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property. (Exodus 21:20-21 NIV)

I’m not sure how one could interpret these passages as anything but the slavery we know of from all of human history: the ownership of other humans as property, and the exploitation of that property. There are verses that instruct kinder provisions for fellow Israelites who had fallen on hard times, but the text makes it quite clear that non-Israelites get no such mercy. Copan goes on to argue that God regulating slavery but stopping short of abolishing it was a moral improvement over surrounding cultures, and is adequate since God was limited in what he could get the Israelites to do. This was puzzling, as I thought Christians believed God is all-powerful and all-knowing. How such a God could be limited in what he can accomplish given that Christians believe he created both humans and the world we live in left me unsatisfied.

Taking a step back

It’s easy to get lost in a stream of biblical citations from every book of the Protestant Bible, and Dr. Copan spent considerable time summarizing many verses. He also cited many authors or scholars to support his arguments without giving any information as to why that particular person’s translation or interpretation is warranted. Christian apologists are experts in crafting systems of arguments and textual citations that are internally consistent, yet fail when one steps back and examines the context of their arguments. When each individual apologist creates their own set of translations out of ambiguous texts, they are engaging in a more extreme relativism than they accuse their opponents the New Atheists of. Shouldn’t the Word of God contain the Best Morality, not incremental “improvements”? Shouldn’t believers who all claim divine guidance and support agree on the very text their divinity provided?

Copan’s attacks on the New Atheists showed that he doesn’t see the difference between criticism of god as a philosophical concept and the Christian God who is presented as the same. When Dawkins and others criticize God they are frequently pointing out the glaring inconsistencies between philosophical questions of origins and the narrative of the Christian Bible. We have many reasons to doubt the historicity of the Old Testament, and attempts at buttressing the moral code of this ancient text fall flat. With their insistence on Truth embodied in a Book, apologists paint themselves into a corner with attempts to make sense of irreconcilable philosophies and texts. An alternative to this is looking at the Bible and other religious texts as important but not infallible guides to human behavior, and this practice at the Unitarian Universalist church will be examined in the next part.

There’s been a lot of debate about the debate between Ken Ham and Bill Nye, mostly concerning the publicity such an event brings to creationists—publicity that some wish creationists didn’t receive. This same issue has come up when the Secular Alliance visited the Creation Museum operated by Ham’s Answers in Genesis, in that by purchasing tickets we are in effect supporting his work. It’s a valid concern, and it’s one that has kept some people from going to the Museum with us. My justification in the past has been that it’s important to see how ideas opposite our own are presented. Better understanding others’ positions and ideas is absolutely essential if we want to reach those who disagree with us by helping better formulate our questions and responses.

I would use the same argument for the debate, in that it’s a great opportunity to see what the main arguments from creationism are with the added bonus of not having to pay any money. We can see the best arguments being put forth for Ham’s position, and consider changing our own arguments accordingly to be more effective.

However, the most important element of this debate is the simple publicity it brings to our group. Bill Nye is an endearing figure for many people who grew up watching his television series, and many more people are interested in seeing him speak than might be interested in some of our other activities as a secular student group. This debate is even drawing many religious student groups, which we normally have little contact with.

In the end, this debate gives us an extraordinary chance at reaching out to students we normally wouldn’t be able to, especially given our limited financial and personnel resources. The attention Ken Ham receives probably will help his plans to build a “replica” of Noah’s Ark, and temporarily reverse the decline in attendance at his Creation Museum. At the same time, many secular student groups around the country are showing the debate and benefitting from the easy publicity for their own groups. I would say capitalizing on the hard work of others for the benefit of our student groups is a great way to offset any publicity gained by Ham, as long as we try to learn as much as possible.

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About Us

The Secular Alliance at Indiana University is a genuine student community. We don’t just explore issues using reason and questioning, as we also act on our secular humanist beliefs by helping others and supporting one another in times of need. Our group welcomes both religious and nonreligious people of all ethnic, cultural, and ideological perspectives. We challenge each other to live the best lives we can, actively promoting reason, wonder, and intentional goodness as a way of life.